Hyderabad, May 24 (IANS) Heatwave has so far claimed 16 lives in Telangana, officials said on Sunday, as the state continued to reel under severe weather conditions with several parts of north Telangana recording temperatures exceeding 45 degrees Celsius

The state government has confirmed 16 deaths in seven districts. It announced compensation of Rs 4 lakh each for the families of the deceased.

Revenue Minister Ponguleti Srinivas Reddy, who reviewed the situation due to intense heatwave conditions in the state, directed the administrative machinery to remain alert and take immediate action to ensure no inconvenience to the public.

With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) warning that heatwave impact will intensify over the next three days, he advised district collectors to exercise even greater caution.

Amid rising temperatures and severe heatwave conditions across the state day by day, the minister held an emergency review meeting with senior officials at the Secretariat on Saturday. He reviewed district-wise reports on heatwave conditions and issued clear directives to the administrative machinery to work with utmost priority to protect people’s lives.

As per the reports of district collectors, four deaths occurred in Jayashankar Bhupalapalli district, three each in Warangal Urban, Karimnagar, and Nizamabad districts, and one each in Jogulamba Gadwal, Rangareddy, and Suryapet districts.

The officials explained that the intensity of the heat is reaching unprecedented levels due to the severe El Niño effect.

The minister asked officials to identify mandals and villages recording the highest temperatures in the state and send advance warnings to the people there; create awareness about the heat through media, social media, and village-level announcements and ensure necessary information reaches the public every hour.

According to Telangana Development Planning Society, 18 out of 33 districts recorded the highest temperature of 45 degrees Celsius and above on Saturday.

Sirpur in Kumaram Bheem Asifabad district was the hottest place in the state with a maximum temperature reaching 46.5 degrees Celsius. Dharampuri in Jagtial district, Gangadhara in Karimnagar, Kasipet in Mancherial, Yergatla in Nizamabad and three other places in Peddapalli, Rajanna Sircilla and Suryapet districts recorded a maximum temperature of 46.4 degrees.

The IMD has issued an orange alert for Komuram Bheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Karimnagar, Peddapalli, Jayashankar Bhupalpally, Mulugu, Khammam, Nalgonda, Suryapet, Mahabubabad, Warangal, and Hanumakonda districts on Sunday.

Yellow alert has been issued for Adilabad, KomuramBheem Asifabad, Mancherial, Warangal, Hanumakonda, Rangareddy, Hyderabad and Medchal-Malkajgiri districts.

The weather department said that thunderstorms accompanied by lightning and gusty winds (40-50 kmph) are very likely to occur at isolated places in Nalgonda, Rangareddy, Hyderabad, Medchal-Malkajgiri, Vikarabad, Sangareddy, Medak, Kamareddy, Mahabubnagar, Nagarkurnool, Wanaparthy, Narayanpet and Jogulamba Gadwal districts.

–IANS

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